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Days after her last heartbreaking call with Steve, Catherine drove through the hillside in Afghanistan to another small village where she hoped she might find a lead on Najib. She fought with all she could to put a lid on her emotions for Steve, telling herself that finding Najib and other kids like him was more important than being with the man she loved. Her self appointed mission was all that mattered in that moment. She couldn't dwell on what had happened to Steve, knowing full well that Danny would take care of him.
Nearly a month later, she had found a lead on Najib. She was in a village outside a compound where a faction of the Taliban were known to be training kids as suicide bombers. She couldn't bare the thought of Najib suffering such a fate and she had to find a way into the compound to save him. Unfortunately, she became sick shortly after she arrived in the village. She couldn't keep food down and felt like her emotions were all over the place. An elderly woman tended to her in a tent. She had a small smile on her face as she looked at Cath. “You are not sick, I have a gift for looking at a woman and knowing...”
On instinct, Catherine's had moved over her stomach and suddenly, her eyes welled up with tears. “You are with child.” The kind woman said.
In that moment, Cath realized she hadn't had her period for some time. She hadn't worried though because it was never consistent. It was something she always battled with as a woman. She thought back to the last time she and Steve had been intimate and it was the day of their poker tournament. They were getting things ready to have their friends over when Steve cornered her up in the bedroom when she was changing out of her lounge wear and into something a little nicer to wear for the evening. He'd had a hunger in his dark blue eyes that needed to be sated. She'd given in to him and they made love on the bed before they finally changed for the evening.
A baby changed things. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure of her self appointed mission. Continuing on would put the baby at risk, but she had made a promise to Najib's family and she would keep it. She would find him, no matter the cost. Once she found him, than maybe she could go home.
She managed to get inside the compound. She'd freed a few of the kids, but she didn't have any backup and couldn't risk staying longer. The kids she freed had seen Najib, but said the men had taken him and some other boys and were heading to a village quiet a ways away. She'd left the compound and made sure the boys made it back to their families, before she left for the other village.
The village wasn't very large, but there was a building in the center. It was a small hospital. They were few and far between in these parts of Afghanistan and she worried, when she saw a group of children moving towards the building. They looked scared, but kept walking. Not a second later, she saw the red dots on each of their heads, sights from gun scopes. She followed the red dots back to the guns and saw men hiding in the shadows. “Oh, god...” She thought to herself. The boys probably had bombs strapped to them. They were going to blow up the hospital.
Suddenly, a figure ran to her. It was short, maybe the height of a growing child. “Catherine...” She knew that voice. “You must go, now...” He grabbed her arm and started pulling on her.
BOOM!!!! The building burst into flames, pieces of debri flying in every direction. Catherine didn't know how she ended up on the ground. She couldn't make heads or tails of what happened and her ears were ringing so loud, the sound seemed to bang against her skull.
“Catherine...” A voice penetrated the ringing, but it sounded like it was far away. She couldn't focus on it and soon her vision went gray and she lost consciousness.
Catherine had been in and out of consciousness for days. She was never very lucid, always looking around wildly confused when her eyes would open. She had a raging fever that wouldn't settle, sometimes causing her to hallucinate. What she was seeing, those around her had no idea. Najib always stayed close to her, helping an older man take care of her.
Finally after several days, her fever broke and she awoke on a cot in an old stone cottage. She didn't know where she was, but she saw Najib asleep on a rug across the room from her. He seemed to have a few cuts on his face, but there was nothing alarming to note about him physically. She tried to move so she could sit up, but a bout of dizziness caught her and the room began to move.
An older man walked up to her dressed in a robe and hijab. He had a graying beard and a stethoscope wrapped around his neck. “Just lay back.” He instructed with an heavy accent, reaching the cot. He sat on the edge of it. “You are recovering from a head injury.” She felt nauseous and realized that she had a pain in her side. Her hand moved to it, but the man stopped her. “I had to remove a piece of metal from your side. You bled very much.”
Catherine swallowed hard, her hand laying over her stomach. “What about the baby?” She asked. Her throat felt dry and her voice was weak. “I was pregnant.”
“Ah, I don't know about a baby.” He said.
All the talking finally woke Najib. He bolted up and quickly moved over to Catherine, happy to see she was finally awake and alert. “You are finally awake. It is good to see your eyes.”
“Are you ok, Najib?” She asked, holding back tears at the thought of the losing the baby. She prayed that wasn't the case, but she didn't know just how serious she had been injured. She remembered seeing the kids walking towards the hospital. She remembered hearing the explosion, but nothing after that.
“I just had some cuts.” He answered.
“I need to get you back to your mother.” She said, trying again to sit up. This time everything tilted and she nearly keeled over the side of the cot.
The older man caught her. “You are not ready to leave yet. You are not well enough.”
“I can wait to go home.” Najib said.
Catherine stayed a few more days to rest up and heal. She was constantly nauseous though. The old man thought it was from her head injury, but she wondered if it wasn't a result of the pregnancy. She remembered her mother once telling her that she had morning sickness when she was pregnant all day for weeks before it subsided. Maybe the baby was still there. At that point, she could only hope that was true. She had no way of knowing until a real doctor could do an ultra sound.
She made her way back with Najib to his village where his mother was. She'd made a promise and she was keeping it. Najib couldn't run into his mother's arms fast enough. Despite the tragedy that had started her on this mission, she was happy to see it end with such a heartwarming reunion. Now, more than ever she wanted to have her own reunion. She wanted to find her way back to Steve.
With the help of some villagers and rebel soldiers, she was able to get into China. Some taliban members caught wind that she had freed some of the boys from one of their camps and she couldn't risk staying in the country. From there she would have an easier time trying to get a flight back to Oahu. She didn't have any contacts that could fly her out from Afghanistan anyways.
When she entered China, she made her way to a clinic that an old Navy contact had told her about. There she could get any extra medical treatment she needed without fear of anyone finding out who she was and why she was really there. She hadn't told this old contact about the pregnancy, but did speak of the near death experience she had at the hospital that was bombed.
In China, the doctor had looked over her previous wounds. Her head wound had healed. He could only guess that she'd had some kind of concussion, but nothing serious. The wound in her side however was still a little red and puffy. It clearly needed more time to heal. When she mentioned the baby, the doctor brought in a machine that could pick up a heartbeat, if there even was one to pick up. She was so nervous as he moved the machine over her belly, both afraid there would be no heartbeat and that there would be one. She didn't want to lose the baby, but she didn't know how Steve would react to the news. Hell, she didn't even know if he would welcome her back into his life after the way she left things with him. She could almost hear his heart breaking when she last spoke with him on the phone.
“...hear that?” The doctor brought her out of her thoughts.
“What?” The steady whoosh, whoosh, whoosh caught her attention.
“That sounds like a healthy heartbeat to me.” The Asian man said with a soft smile.
Catherine covered her mouth and cried. The baby was alive and well. She almost couldn't believe it. “I thought that maybe I'd lost it.” She replied.
“Well, the heartbeat never lies.” The doctor pulled the machine away. “Unfortunately, I do not have ultrasound here. I cannot get pictures.”
She shook her head. “Of course, I can do that when I get home.”
After she finished up with the doctor she went to a hostel she'd been staying at. She had a huge bag of food with her and just wanted to eat everything. That had to be the baby's doing, she thought to herself as she indulged in her third egg roll. She pulled out her SAT phone, a new one since the old one had been blown to bits at that hospital in Afghanistan, and tried to contact Joe. Perhaps he could get her home. After all, he was the one that originally arranged for her and Steve to go on their mission in the first place. He didn't answer though.
Over the next few weeks she tried several contacts of hers to try and get her home, but had used up a lot of her favors over the years. She couldn't risk booking her own flight out of China because than they would wonder how she got there in the first place and want to know what she was doing. After a while, she decided to just settle in for the time being and lay low. Maybe Joe would eventually get back to her.
Finally one night, her SAT phone rang. It was Joe. He had arranged a flight for her at a private airport near her location. A friend of his who did business in China had flown into the country for business and would be leaving the next morning. He was willing to sneak her into the airport and onto his plane back to Oahu. He told her he had actually arranged this because something had happened to Steve and that Steve needed her. He couldn't say exactly what had happened. Hell, he wasn't too sure himself, but he knew it had to do with a one Wo Fat.
The whole flight home, Catherine wondered about Steve and what had happened to him. Wo Fat was a true adversary and one not to be trifled with. The man had already tortured Steve once in North Korea and every meet after that had been a fight for their lives. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he might have done to Steve this time.
When she landed, she went to her little house in the Nui Valley. She hadn't been there in months and everything was covered in a layer of dust. She made her way to the bedroom, where she had a long hot shower. She'd missed having a hot shower. Many of the villages in Afghanistan had very tepid, cold water. They didn't have the luxury of hot water. Her hostel bathroom in China had warm water, but it only lasted a couple of minutes before it ran out. She also missed her floral body soap.
When she finished, she looked at her self in the mirror. Her hand went to her belly where she could already see a small swell. She got teary eyed again just thinking about the baby. “Pull it together, Rollins.” She told her self. Quickly she dressed in an old oversized Navy sweatshirt and some leggings. She was dressed merely for comfort, not for style. She didn't think Steve would care what she was wearing.
Her vette was parked out in the garage where she had left it months ago. She was surprised when it started right up. She shook her head as she pulled out of her driveway, realizing that the vette wouldn't be very practical with a baby. She might have to consider selling it to get something more suitable. She made it to Steve's house in record time, but was surprised to find his truck parked out front and no one home. She thought about letting herself in with the key she still had on her key ring, but decided not to.
Instead, she pulled out her cell phone and powered it back on after it being off all those months. She texted Danny asking where Steve was. She could see he was typing, but nothing came. Then, nearly two minutes later he replied with “hospital.” He didn't say which one, so she decided to try Queen's first and then Tripler.
She parked at Queen's and walked in to the main desk. A perky red head was sitting there with the name tag, Doreen. “How can I help you?” She said with a smile.
Catherine placed her hands on the desk in front of her. “I'm looking for a patient, Steve McGarrett. I don't know if he's here or not.”
“Catherine?” Danny had just walked over from the cafeteria. “I was wondering why you texted all of a sudden. What are you doing here?”
“I need to talk to Steve, Danny.” She replied, facing the man.
“Well, I don't think it would be good for him to see you right now.” Danny said with a hint of malice in his voice. He stood like a bear ready to protect it's cubs. How dare she show up now of all times. She had left him and he wasn't about to just let her waltz back into his life like nothing ever happened. Especially not now after what Wo Fat did. Steve was still having trouble with his memory and struggling to rid the insane amount of psychotropic drugs in his system that according to the doctors should have killed him. He was in a fragile state of mind right now and didn't need Catherine confusing it.
“Look, Danny.” Catherine insisted. “It's really important that I see Steve.” And tell him about the baby, she thought. Though maybe now wasn't the best time to bring up the pregnancy.
“I can't let you do that right now.” He said sternly. “You have no idea what he's been through these last few days. His mind is fractured right now and he's just barely starting to put it back together. I won't have you going in there and shattering it again.”
“What happened to him?” She asked. “Wo Fat did something to him, didn't he?”
Danny sighed and averted his gaze. He couldn't bare to look Catherine in the eyes. “Wo Fat's dead.” And that was all he said before he walked off.
She debated following him, but he seemed really angry to see her and he seemed pretty shaken up about whatever had happened to Steve.
“Ma'am?” Catherine turned around, noticing the woman at the desk again. “That man you were asking about, he's in room 213.”
“Oh, uh thank you.” She replied with a small smile and a nod. She walked through the halls until she found Steve's room. It was at the end of the hallway sort of away from all the other rooms, offering a bit more privacy. She could hear noise inside so she stopped and peaked in through the window next to the door which was slightly open.
She could see Steve laying in the bed. He had an IV taped into his arm and leads coming out from his gown attached that lead to a heart monitor. There was a bandage on the left side of his head and she could see a few smaller bandages on his arms. The most alarming thing was the way he looked. He was pale and had this haunting look on his face. She'd never seen him like that before.
Danny pulled a chair over and sat next to Steve's bed. “Hey, buddy.”
Steve looked over at him confused for a moment, but it only took a second for recognition to fill his eyes. “I wanna go home, Danny. I need to go home.” He pleaded.
“We talked about this Steve.” Danny replied, putting a calming hand on his arm. “We finally got all the drugs cleared out of your system, but you're still pretty weak.”
“Yeah, but my Dad...” Steve's voice faltered. His face scrunched up and tears brimmed at his eyes. “He's, he's gone.”
“Yeah buddy.” Danny said softly.
“They're all gone, Danny.” Steve cried. “Mom, Dad....Cath. Why does everyone leave?”
“Hey, I'm still here Steve.” Danny insisted. “I'm the brother you never asked for and I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me in this pineapple infested hell hole.”
In that moment, Catherine felt her heart breaking for Steve. He wasn't wrong. Everyone did seem to leave him. His Dad didn't leave by choice, but his mother had and she'd done so more than once. She herself had left him, something she was coming to regret. Maybe she didn't have a right to come back here. Maybe it would be better for him if she just left him to move on without her. What of the baby though? She couldn't keep from him that she was pregnant. Her hand cradled her belly and she just wasn't sure what to do. She only knew that she didn't want to hurt Steve again.
Maybe she would wait to see him until he was out of the hospital. Yeah, that might be better she thought, turning around to leave. A bout of nausea hit her and she suddenly swallowed hard, trying to keep it down. She walked down the hall a ways until she found a bathroom. She ducked inside and locked the door behind her before she knelt down and puked into the toilet. She dry heaved a few times after that, but then nothing. Hoping she was over it, she walked to the sink and washed her hands. Then she cupped a handful of water and tried to drink it to wash away the bile taste. She took a few calming breaths and left the bathroom.
Turning to walk back to the exit, she saw Danny. He must have been leaving. Her eyes darted back and forth down the hall as she contemplated going to Steve's room. She nodded to herself and headed back. She peeked in through the side window and saw that Steve was asleep, albeit, he didn't look like he was in a restful sleep. She could see the way his eyes darted back and fourth under closed lids and she thought she heard him mumbling. Tears filled her eyes as she opened the door quietly and walked towards him. His body shifted, so she placed a gentle hand on his arm and sat in the chair that Danny had left by the bed. At her touch, he instantly stilled.
“Oh Steve...” She couldn't stop herself from crying now. “I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you.” He leaned towards her on the bed, but didn't open his eyes. He almost seemed relaxed and content. She knew that was probably far from the truth though. She didn't want to wake him, so she decided it was best to leave for now. Standing, she stood for a moment and lifted her shirt. She brought his hand to her small baby bump and placed it there for several seconds before she pulled it away and gently kissed it, setting it back on the bed.
Catherine walked out, wiping the tears away and headed back to her car. She drove herself home and climbed into bed with an old t-shirt of his that she had in one of her dresser drawers. She pulled it close and hugged it, praying that she could work things out with Steve, praying that he would get through whatever it was he'd been through with Wo Fat. In that moment, she realized that she didn't want to live without him. They'd never really defined their relationship over the years and were never overly affectionate, but she realized perhaps only too late that he held her heart in the palm of his hands.
The next morning, Steve was arguing with the nurse over breakfast. “You can't expect me to eat this. The eggs are overcooked, the toast is barely toasted and there isn't even any bacon.” Ok, it was better than the bland oatmeal they'd given him the day before and the too salty soup, but he was tired of hospital food and just wanted to go home.
“I'm sorry, commander, but if you want to go home, you need to eat.” The small, but fiery nurse replied with a stern tone. “If you don't eat, I'll make sure you stay another day.”
“You wouldn't.” He countered with a glare.
She stood straight and despite being so small made herself look strong and forceful. “Oh I will and I'll make sure that big Tony comes in to give you a sponge bath too.”
Steve vaguely remembered big Tony. He was a Hawaiian man who was built like Kamekona. The man was an orderly who had come in to clean some vomit off the floor after Steve had puked during his detox from the drugs Wo Fat had given him. The man was not someone he ever wished to get a sponge bath from. “Fine.” He huffed, taking a bite of the eggs.
Danny walked in a second later. “Hello, Nayla.” He greeted the nurse. “Steve giving you trouble again?”
“Of course, but I put him in his place.” She replied with a grin. She gave Steve a stern look. “Now eat. I'll be buy later with your discharge papers.”
Danny waited for the nurse to leave before he plopped down in his usual seat. “How'd you sleep last night? Any better?” He asked, knowing that Steve has been having trouble since his ordeal. The drugs hadn't helped matters. Even after he was brought to the hospital, they still had to finish running their course through his system and he'd had a few hallucinations that lead to the doctors having to temporarily place him in soft restraints after he attacked a nurse. If he wasn't hallucinating, he was just overall very restless when he slept.
“I had this weird dream. I guess it was the drugs, but I thought Catherine was here.” Steve said. He turned away briefly while he tried to reel in his emotions. “I could feel her and smell her, but I know she wasn't here. I actually slept pretty good after that.” He turned back to Danny as he stuffed a mouthful of eggs into himself.
Danny was surprised when Steve mentioned Catherine. He knew the drugs had finally run their course, so it couldn't have been the drugs making him dream. Maybe she had come to see him despite Danny's warning that it wouldn't be a good idea. “Wow, buddy. I don't know what to say. I suppose it could have been the drugs, but doc says they've run their course.”
“Yeah, I don't know.” Steve replied, taking a bite of his food. “I guess I just miss her and wish she was here. Maybe that's why I dreamt about her. I don't think she's coming back though.”
“Well, you never know Steve.” Danny shot back, knowing full well that Catherine was back. He didn't know if Catherine being back was a good thing or not. He certainly didn't want his friend to get his heart broken again, but he knew that Steve would find out eventually that she was back. He decided to change the subject. “So how did you convince the doctor to let you out today?”
“I had to promise that I would spend the next few days at home resting.” Steve replied, moving on to his barely toasted toast. He scrunched his face up after his first bite. Apparently they didn't feel like buttering his toast.
“And the doc believed you would do this?” Danny had to laugh at that. “I give it one day until you dangle a guy off a roof or lob a hand grenade at some unsuspecting criminal.”
“You clearly have little faith in me.” Steve gave up on his toast.
Danny shook his head and smiled. “No, I just know you and you don't have it in you to rest. Now you heard the nurse, finish up that food or you won't be leaving.”
Steve curled his lip up and gave Danny a death stare. “Fine...” He picked up his toast.
Once breakfast was finished, the doctor met with Steve to go over his discharge. He was given some mild pain killers to help with not only the broken ribs but also the head wound. He was shot, granted it was just a knick to the side of the head, but he'd had quite the concussion. He was also told to take the rest of the week to rest before easing back into his normal routine. He was bound to be a little fatigued from his injuries and all the drugs he had been given.
Danny drove Steve home, though they briefly argued who would be doing the driving. “It's my car and you're still recovering.” Danny huffed as he kept a death grip on his key fob.
“I'm fine Danny...” Steve could see he was losing the argument, but didn't want to give up. Eventually he conceded though and got into the passenger side. He wasn't used to sitting in this side of the car.
Walking into the house for the first time after his ordeal, Steve froze in the doorway. He glanced over to a spot on the living room floor. “Hey, champ...” He could almost see his Dad standing there clear as day.
“Steve?” Danny pulled him from his thoughts.
“Huh?” He turned to his partner and reminded himself that his Dad was gone. “Sorry.” He moved further into the house, setting his bag on the recliner.
“Are you gonna be ok here?” Danny asked curiously.
Steve tried to reign in his emotions and nodded. “Yeah, I'll be fine. Oh, is my Dad's car in the garage?”
“Yeah we had that old bucket of bolts towed back here, but I think you'll need a new window.” He replied. He didn't understand why Steve cared so much about that old car. Yes, it was his fathers, but it was just a car and an old one at that. “Look, you know I have to get into the office and finish a few reports, but I'll be back in a few hours and I'll pick up some food ok?”
“Yeah, that would be great.” Steve eyed Danny. “And don't worry, I'll be fine for a few hours.”
Danny left, though he felt weary of doing so. Steve had told him a little about some of the hallucinations he had had under the influence of the drugs. He had laughed when Steve told him about how he'd been wearing a Hawaiian shirt and acted much like Steve had when they first met, but he didn't think the ones Steve had had about his father were funny. He wondered if being back in that house would stir those hallucinations back up.
Steve made his way to the kitchen. His doctor had advised him against consuming any alcohol until he was feeling a little more like himself, so he grabbed a coconut water from the fridge. He took that with him out to the lanai. He felt the salty air hit his skin and closed his eyes for a moment, just listening to the waves and letting them calm him. He opened his eyes and moved down to the chairs. He looked over to the empty one next to him and could see his father sitting there with a proud smile on his face. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes again, reminding himself that the older man wasn't really there. It was just a memory and not even a real one at that. He wished he could have more time with his father. He regretted deeply the way he dove head first into the Navy and stayed away from home for so long.
He sipped his water and focused on the waves. He thought about all the other things in life he regretted. He wished he'd told Catherine he loved her sooner. Hell, maybe then she would have stayed or come back with him after he was captured in Afghanistan. He thought about his mother. He wasn't sure he had too many regrets with her, but he thought about all the lies she fed him and all the things that had happened in life because of them and her past with the CIA. Had she really raised Wo Fat and cared for him? He didn't understand why she kept so many secrets and why she never just told him the truth. Sometimes, he almost thought it would have been better if she really had died. He quickly shook his head at that last thought. He didn't mean it. Hell, maybe he did. He wasn't really sure.
“Steve?” A familiar voice broke through his thoughts and he nearly jumped out of his seat. He turned and looked at her like he was seeing a ghost. “I knocked, but you didn't answer.”
“Catherine?” He couldn't believe what he was seeing. “No, no....” He ran a shaky hand through his hair. “You can't be real.” How could she be real? She was gone and for all he knew, she hadn't planned on coming back. He took a few steps back.
“It's really me, Steve.” She said calmly. “I came back.”
He shook his head again. “No, I mean, I don't know.” He didn't know what to say.
“I'm sorry, I didn't come back sooner, but I had to find Najib.” She explained.
“Did you find him?” He asked.
She nodded. “I did and he's home with his mother.” Catherine moved around the chairs so she was standing next to Steve.
“Why are you here?” He had this pensive look on his face. He was trying to get a read on her. His eyes zeroed in on her stomach. She was wearing a t-shirt, but he could see that she'd put on a little weight around the belly.
“I came back because I realized that I didn't want to be without you.” She reached for his hand, but he pulled it away.
She took a deep breath. “I know how we left things wasn't ideal, but I love you Steve and I can't imagine being with anyone else.” He eyed her curiously, not sure if he believed what she was saying. That's when she took his hand and moved it to her belly. “We need you Steve.”
He looked at her in a moment of shock. “We?” He was a little confused too.
“I'm pregnant.” She said with a soft smile.
“What?” He shot back, moving his hand away. He glanced down at her belly with a very serious look on his face. “You're having a baby?”
“Well, that is what pregnant means.” She replied with a grin.
“So I'm gonna be a dad?” He questioned.
“If you want to be.” She said and then she got teary eyed. “But I can understand if you don't want me back in your life. I know I must have broken your heart, so I can raise this baby on my own if I have to. I should probably just go...” She started to turn away.
Steve stopped her. “Wait, don't go.” He pulled her close, having finally set down his water on the table. “Cath, I need you. I want nothing more than to have you here with me.” He felt his own tears well up. He put his arms around her and she nestled her head in the crook of his neck. “I can't believe I'm gonna be a dad. Danny is gonna go nuts when he hears this.”
Catherine smiled. “Yeah, and he's probably gonna spoil our baby the same way you spoil Grace.”
“I'm just trying to make sure I'm a good Uncle.” Steve flashed a lopsided grin. “Danny really does have the best kid.”
A few hours later, Danny called to see what Steve wanted him to pick up for dinner for all of them. Turns out Chin, Kono, and Grover would all be heading over too. Steve suggested he just get some pizzas, one with extra ham and pineapples. He didn't mention that Catherine was over.
Danny and the gang arrived a short while later with a few boxes of pizzas and a case of long boards. They knew Steve couldn't drink right now, but it wasn't going to stop the rest of them.
“Is that Catherine's car?” Chin asked as they all walked up to the house.
“Yeah, I forgot to mention that she was back in town.” Danny replied. Opening the front door and letting himself in. “I don't know how, but she found out about Steve's encounter with Wo Fat.”
“Thank goodness it was his last encounter.” Grover said. He followed the group out to the lanai where they found Steve and Catherine sitting, both hand in hand at one of the tables.
“Why am I not surprised to see you here?” Danny said to Catherine, still feeling a little like a mother bear who needed to protect her cub.
“Hey, Danny.” She greeted. “Guys.”
“It's ok.” Steve replied to Danny. “Cath and I talked and she's back for good now. You don't have to worry, Danno.”
Danny set the pizzas on the table. He gave Steve a look that said he would always worry about him, but didn't speak another word.
Chin set the beers on the table. “Well, it's good to have you back Catherine. Steve hasn't been the same without you.”
They all sat and passed around the pizza boxes, all settling in with a slice or two and a beer. All except for Steve and Catherine. Now, Danny knew why Steve wasn't drinking, but why wasn't Catherine? He eyed them curiously and saw that Steve had his arm around her with his hand rested against her belly. Had she put on weight since she'd been gone? Wait a minute, he thought. Could she be....his thought was cut off by the woman.
“Oh god...” Catherine flew out of her chair, dropping her slice of ham and pineapple pizza on her napkin. She bolted into the house.
“What's wrong with her?” Kono asked.
“I'm not sure.” Steve answered. He didn't know she was having morning sickness from the pregnancy.
“Maybe one of us should check on her?” Lou suggested.
“I'll go.” Kono replied, getting up from her spot at the table. She walked into the house and found Catherine walking out from the downstairs bathroom. She heard the toilet flushing behind the woman. “Are you ok?”
Catherine offered an assuring smile. “Yeah, it's nothing.” She waved it off like it was no big deal and walked back out with Kono.
Steve looked up at her concerned. “Everything ok, Cath?” He asked.
She moved over to him and sat back in her seat. “Yeah, I just don't think the little one likes the pineapples on the pizza. Maybe I should just try plain cheese.” She said reaching for a different piece.
“Wait, what did you say?” Danny said, nearly spitting out his food as he spoke. “The little one?”
Catherine opened her mouth to speak, but than closed it, not sure what to say. She looked at Steve, hoping he would say something. At that point, everyone's eyes were on the two of them.
Steve had this goofy grin on his face. “Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you all that we're having a baby.” He announced.
“Wow, brother, congratulations.” Lou replied.
“That's great news.” Chin said.
“Yeah, boss, that's great.” Kono patted his arm across the table.
“You are gonna be the best Dad.” Danny replied with a shit eating grin. “I mean when you're not hurling grenades around and tossing people into shark tanks that is. I can't wait for Grace to have a cousin on the island.”
“Thanks, Danno.” Steve said. He eyed Catherine. “How's the cheese doing?”
She laughed. “Well, it hasn't come up yet. God, I hate this morning sickness. It's not even morning so I don't know why they call it that.”
“Same thing happened with Rachel.” Danny said. “It didn't last long, but it came morning, noon, and night with Grace.”
“Oh, that reminds me, I need to get in with an OB doctor and get this little guy properly checked out.” Catherine said. “That doctor in China didn't have an ultrasound, just a machine to hear the heart beat.”
Steve stiffened up and got very serious. “What doctor in China? Why were you in China?”
She sighed and answered. “It's a rather long story, but that was the best place for me to try and fly out from. Joe helped me secure a flight.”
“We are gonna talk about this later.” Steve said, not wanting to miss any details about her time away and how she had finally found Najib.
“Ok.” Was all she said before she took another bite of her cheese pizza.
“I always knew you two were end game.” Danny said, sipping his beer.
“Yeah, I can't imagine life with anyone else.” Steve replied pulling Catherine in for a kiss. He'd never been that open with his feelings before, but he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away from him. He didn't want her leaving again. He didn't think his heart could take that again.
Catherine pulled away. “Good, because I'm not going anywhere.” She felt Steve pull her in tighter, almost protectively with his hand on her belly.
“Alright, let's not get too mushy here.” Lou said to the couple and joked. “I'd like to keep my pizza down.”
“Yeah, we'd like for you to keep it down too.” The others all laughed.
The evening wound down not long after that leaving the couple out on the lanai. They couldn't part and sat for a long time just embracing each other, with Steve taking in her scent of cocoa butter and Gardenia and she just enjoying the feel of his strong arms around her again. She'd missed him something fierce.
The sun had started to set and it was nearly dark when Steve finally spoke. “Maybe we should head inside.” He suggested, moving his arms out from around her so he could gather up the empty pizza boxes.
“Yeah, I guess.” She grabbed her and Steve's empty water bottles. The team had already cleaned up their beer bottles.
They both made their way inside and to the kitchen where they discarded the trash. “So, do you want to tell me how you found Najib and how you ended up in China?” Steve asked her.
She took a deep breath and heaved out a sigh. She knew this was coming eventually. “Let's go sit on the couch and I can explain everything.” She replied, taking his hand and leading him out to the couch.
They sat and she faced him. “After you were taken, I called Danny and told him to contact Joe and help get a rescue team sent for you. I would have come myself, but I couldn't risk it with the kids.” Cath started.
Steve nodded. “I understand that, but you never even came to check on me.” He was a little hurt by her actions. And then there was the phone call that broke his heart, when she told him she was staying.
“I know and I'm so sorry Steve, but I knew Danny would take care of you.” She said. When Steve didn't reply, she continued. “I still had to find Najib. so I went to several different villages before I got a real lead on him. Unfortunately he was taken with some boys to a town with a hospital. I found the boys entering the hospital and they all had bombs strapped to them.”
“Wait, was Najib with them?” He thought she'd found him and returned him home.
“He had been taken with the boys, but he fought with the men and got away before they could strap the bomb on him. He actually saved me from the explosion.” Catherine explained. She pulled her shirt up and he could see the red scar on her side. Steve immediately got this worried look on his face as his finger lightly traced over the scar. “After the explosion, he found an older man who tended to my wounds and let me stay until I was healed. I had no idea if the baby had survived or not because of where the wound was. I bled a lot and had a concussion too, but the doctor in China, he told me that the baby still had a healthy heartbeat.”
“I'm still not sure how you got to China.” Steve said.
Catherine licked her lips and replied. “I got Najib back to his family and then I tried to contact Joe for a ride home, but I couldn't get through to him. I tried to cash in some favors I had with some friends, but nothing came through. Some of the villagers in Najib's village, along with some rebel soldiers, helped me get into China. I figured I'd have an easier way to get home from China. That's when Joe finally came through and made arrangements for me to fly back here.” She didn't mention the part about the Taliban members who were after her.
“You watched those kids blow up a hospital?” Steve asked. He couldn't imagine how seeing something like that could affect her. He pulled her close and put an arm around her.
She started to get a little teary eyed. “Yeah and I was so scared that Najib, that he was one of those boys. That I'd lost him.” She curled into Steve. “I was so grateful when I woke up and he was there. He had a few cuts and scrapes, but he was ok. And as I tried to rest and heal, I just kept thinking about you and how I left things.” She looked up at him. “I just wanted to get Najib home and get back to you.”
Steve rested his chin on her head, holding her close. “I was so worried you'd never come back. I was heart broken after our last call and I didn't think I'd ever hear your voice again.”
“Again, I'm so Sorry Steve.” She replied. “I never meant to hurt you and I hope we can move past this.”
Steve smiled, not that she could see tucked under his chin. “I hope we can too. I don't want to lose you again and I want to be a father and raise this baby together.”
“I promise, I'm not going anywhere again.” She said, pulling away and shooting him a quick smile. “From now on, it's you and me against the world, Sailor.”
“I think you meant you, me, and the baby.” He shot back. “And I was thinking, now that we're having a baby, maybe we should do something else.”
“Do yo always think with your downstairs brain?” Cath asked, glancing down at his pants.
Steve quickly shook his head. “No, well I'd like that, but I was thinking something more along the lines of marriage.”
“Wait, are you proposing?” She asked. This was not the kind of proposal she had in mind. He gave her a sheepish grin so she continued. “No, you are not going to do it like this. I want something romantic. You're going to have to come up with something better.”
“Ok, I can do that.” Shoot, he thought. He was never really all that great at that romantic stuff. Maybe Danny could help him plan something. “But only if you promise that you'll say yes.”
“If I say yes now, then you won't have to propose.” She shot back. “You'll have better luck with the downstairs brain tonight.”
Steve grinned. “Ok, why don't we head upstairs then. You're wearing too many clothes.”
“So are you, Sailor.” She started removing his shirt before he even got up from the couch.
“Wait...” Steve froze for a second. “Is it safe to do with the baby?”
She gave him a grin. “I'm sure it will be fine, plus we haven't done this in far too long.” She grabbed his arm and lead him upstairs.
Together, they both worked on shedding their clothes on the way up the stairs. They were naked before they even reached the bedroom. Steve gently laid her on the bed and took in the sight before him. She was a little thinner than before, probably because she didn't have the same access to food over seas as she did in the states, but she had a nice little bump where the baby was. Her hair lay fanned out on the pillow and her breasts looked amazing, perkier than he remembered. He couldn't wait to ravage her.
“Steve, are you gonna...” She started to speak, but was cut off when he finally stopped staring in awe and leaned down over her, his lips meeting her neck as he slowly kissed down to the center of her chest.
A moment later they were making love and suddenly all was right in the world according to Steven McGarrett. He had his ohana, his love, and a baby on the way. Life didn't get much better than that.